State park entrance fees backed

$25-per-vehicle charge would help pay for repairs and maintenance

Illinois Beach State Park Site Superintendent Greg Behm inspects some of the damage last summer after a storm downed downed hundreds of trees there. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)

Illinois Beach State Park has been closed since a devastating storm last summer downed hundreds of trees, making it unsafe for visitors. But a proposed law could help pay the costs for such a cleanup in the future, as well as for maintenance there and at other state parks.

State Rep. JoAnn Osmond, R-Antioch, is sponsoring a bill that would allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to charge fees at properties it owns.

The bill left committee Tuesday and could be up for vote in the House as early as March 22. Osmond said the state could generate $7 million to $8 million annually if it charged an annual $25-per-vehicle entrance fee that would cover Illinois Beach State Park, near Zion; Volo Bog State Natural Area; Chain O' Lakes State Park; and Moraine Hills State Park in northern Illinois, as well as other state parks.

Osmond say she expects Illinois Beach State Park, which gets 1.25 million visitors annually, to be open by April 1. All state parks and natural areas combined attract 45 million visitors a year, according to officials.

Osmond introduced a similar bill two years ago but it didn't go anywhere, she said. The devastation at Illinois Beach State Park last summer prompted her to introduce a new version, which she said has more support.

"I'm a Republican. I'm not used to fees. But the only way to get those parks where they are safe for people to use them is through fees," Osmond said.

Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris McCloud said the department will see a budget deficit of about $22 million in fiscal year 2013. Nearly $750 million in repairs and maintenance are needed at the parks, officials have said.

Gurnee resident Jim Solum spends a great deal of time watching birds at state and county parks but says he is hesitant about supporting fees.

"We pay for the parks with our taxes. It would be like paying to go the library," he said and suggested the money for repairs come from fees charged to campers.

Illinois Beach State Park Site Superintendent Greg Behm has said camping fees usually bring in about $350,000 annually to the Natural Resources Department but that money has been lost since the park was closed most of the camping season in 2011.

Illinois is one of only seven states that do not charge entrance fees to parks, said Brian Anderson, director of the Illinois Natural History Survey.

"I'd like to think adding fees would increase visitation and that it would help local economies," he said.